


Le luci di Roma

by joe_cool



Category: Eurovision Song Contest RPF, Festival di Sanremo RPF
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Historical Inaccuracy, Like, M/M, Middle Ages, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, ish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-04-11 18:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19115302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joe_cool/pseuds/joe_cool
Summary: Each year, on the day of Prince's birthday, everyone in the kingdom released thousands of floating lanterns with the hope that, maybe someday, the boy would see them and find his way back to his family.A young fisherman comes back to Rome, only to find that the once joyful and beautiful kingdom he called home now holds a feeling of sorrow after the disappearance of the Prince...





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading this new story I came up with several months ago and finally could write!  
> The story includes a good amount of angst and it includes implied bits of Ermal's family story from the very beginning.  
> Without further ado, enjoy!

The last time Mira saw her son, was the night of his sixth birthday after watching the lights of Rome just as they had done every year.

She remembers his smile and how his eyes lit up when he realized it was time to see the lights from the balcony. She remembers his voice when he yelled he had never been happier in his life. And she remembers the way his sleepy voice thanked her for a great birthday, before she kissed his curls and left his bedroom.

 

Unfortunately, she also remembers the deafening silence that filled the room just as she opened the door only to find his son’s bed completely messy, empty. She remembers the panic forming in the pit of her stomach and the sound of her footsteps speeding up until she encountered Giuda, her husband’s left hand and head of the Royal Guard. Remembers the pain as she pronounced a single sentence, that expressed her biggest fear.

“My son is not on his quarters…”

She wouldn’t listen to anyone after that, but it’s hard to forget the servants’ yelling, the guards’,  everyone in the castle, the tears forming in her eyes, how hard it was to breath thinking that… that…

 

Her little boy, her Ermal, had gone missing in the middle of the night. She remembers the expressions of tiredness and confusion from her other kid, as he asked for his big brother and why was everyone looking for him? The soft sobbing of the baby.

They had looked in each and every one of the rooms of the castle, including secret passages, the most hidden corners, without finding any trace.

That night, she didn’t stop sobbing into the arms of her husband. Only that was the day when she forgot all the fights and the tension that’s always been between them, for she had never felt a bigger pain than this one, her heart breaking.

 

 

When the sun came out, the kingdom was told that Prince Ermal was nowhere to be found.

“Most likely kidnapped by an enemy kingdom” said some rumors on the streets.  

She remembers how much he loved the lights of Rome, so she never gave up.

 

Each year, on the day of Prince Ermal’s birthday, everyone in the kingdom released thousands of floating lanterns with the hope that, maybe someday, the boy would see them and find his way back to his family.

 


	2. Odio le favole

_Sometimes, I have these weird dreams…_

_I see myself standing in the balcony, holding her hand as I stare into the sky waiting for the stars to appear in this special occasion. After this, I know I will be happier and I cannot help but voice my thoughts so loud and she laughs at me. And I know she’s laughing from happiness too._

 

 

As far as Ermal remembers, he has always lived in this tower and things have always been the same.

Every morning, he has woken up with the sunlight hitting his face through the big window, which allows him to observe the sea around him. He has opened his eyes in that same big bed in his chamber and has walked into a same living gallery and then to the same kitchen where there would always be food, although he didn’t know where it came from, considering there was no way out besides the windows.

However, the tower looked out over a small and lonely island in the middle of the sea, which Ermal learnt to love over the years. Even if he could jump from the tower, he didn’t know how to swim and wouldn’t know where to go. The sea and those beautiful stars appearing in the sky on the day of his birthday from the distance, where the only things he ever met from the outside world and that was enough to feed his curiosity.

It was almost at his thirteen years when Ermal understood that there _had_ to be an escape, since that was how Miss Margherita had to arrive every three days to teach him about biology, maths, literature…

 

And Ermal was exhausted, terrified by the idea of living locked up in the monotony for the rest of his life.

He has days already with these thoughts on his mind and, that morning, he had decided to follow his instinct and share this interest with her: his only friend. He was hoping that she would give him some answers, since she was usually amazed with his curiosity during the classes, especially with languages.

 

 

Miss Margherita stopped her lecture as soon as she noticed that the boy wouldn’t stay still and was definitely not paying attention. Instead, he kept staring at the window, as if something there was calling him.

“Ermal, is everything okay?” Her voice brought him back to reality. Ermal looked at her and nodded. “You sure?”

He was sure that she would not judge him, she knew him since so long ago and would understand there were things he had to know: The truth. He took some air.

“Miss… do you remember that my thirteenth birthday is approaching?”

“Of course, Ermal, I wouldn’t forget…”

“And that you… told me I could ask for anything?

Listening to his words, her smile faded. When she said it, Margherita didn’t really mean _anything_ and felt slightly scared at the thought of what he would possibly ask for next.

“Eh, yes Ermal. I said that.”

“I want to see the floating lights that appear every year on my birthday.”

“But…” Shit, what could she tell him so he could forget about it? If Ermal kept talking… she would be in trouble. “But if you always see them, Ermal”

“Miss, you know what I mean… Closer!”

“They’re not lights. They’re just stars.”

Hoping that was enough, but the boy just sent her a look; there was no way to trick him.

 

“Stars are constant, Miss, and there’s no way that exactly these ones appear every year the same day” With these words, Ermal ran to one of the massive shelves that covered the walls. He remembered having learned about the stars previously. He found a book that told him everything: Stars had patterns and those on his birthday didn’t meet any of them.

Margherita watched taken aback, because the boy was really so smart being so young. Instead of being filled with joy, this caused her a feeling of fear and sadness. “See? Those are not stars!”

“Oh, it looks like you’re right. You seem to like that book very much.”

“So you can take me to see them?”

“Ermal, I’m afraid I can’t” At her words, the book fell from Ermal’s hands and his eyes immediately teared up. He couldn’t stand this anymore.

“Why not?”

“Because… because… The outside world is too dangerous for you!”

“I am a good student! I keep my chamber clean. I make my own food. I get to be here everyday on my own… do I not deserve to go out?” The teacher couldn’t bear the sight of his student, sobbing, without wanting to cry herself too.

“Please, Ermal. Don’t ask me this, I can’t”

“You can go out and come back as you like!”

“I can’t get you out of here, do you understand? I don’t have that power”

“Then who has it?”

 

The time had come. Margherita could only feel more guilty. She knew that, when Ermal would grow up, he’d start asking these questions and she would have to disappear from his life as well, leaving him completely on his own for real.

She just didn’t expect that moment to hurt as much as it did, neither that her heart would completely break before his eyes. And neither she expect to cry silently too. Ermal was an exceptional kid who didn’t deserve to go through all of this but she could do nothing to change it.

 

“I cannot tell you this” The kid’s eyes opened in shock. Then… she knew all this time why he was there?

All these years had been a charade.

“You know where my parents are…”

“I’m so sorry, Ermal”

“Why would they leave me here?”

She looked at the sunrays from the windows once again. It wasn’t time yet for their session to be over, yet she thought the best option would be to retreat from the tower.

“Don’t leave me here! I- I beg you!” He tried to detain every step she gave towards the opposite direction. But he did not move a step closer once he saw how the professor opened an enormous door that laid on the floor, with the help of a key and easily. He wasn’t able to process what was going on.

 

 

_There’s a door. There’s a door. There’s a door._

_There’s a door that can get him out of here._

“Ermal, please. I’m asking you to not follow me”

The instant he tried to, from the shadows emerged a man in a dark armor to push him violently to the ground. “Hey! You can’t go out!” This man held a threatening demeanor, with his black mask and a voice that for some reason sounded extremely familiar to him, along with the feeling of helplessness and weakness. He had no doubt, he knew this stranger.

“Don’t you ever dare to try and go out. Ever” He froze completely at his gaze and a sword aiming at his face, until the mysterious man vanished into the darkness.

It took several minutes for his breathing to return to normal and for the tears to dry on his face, replacing all the previous emotions with new thoughts, the understanding of many things at the same time.

 

 

Ermal was completely alone now. Then maybe he had always been.

 

 

He waited three more days, just in case he would get to see Miss Margherita again.

After that, he waited another three days.

And then, three more days.

 

 

She never appeared.

 

The day of his thirteenth birthday, Ermal found resting in the middle of his living gallery a white coloured lute. It was beautiful and he found himself hypnotized observing each detail, even on the inside. On a couch inside the room, there was a big book about music. Of course, he was surrounded by books and knew there were much more about music, this one held only the basics, that would take him on a journey.

 

 

Since that moment, Ermal decided to not believe anymore in those fairytales. All those fake stories, with perfect characters, perfect lives and happy endings that did not exist. He didn’t know a happy ending and his life would definitely never be a fairytale, this was the real world.

Instead, he started to believe in music. Now, he had something to hold onto besides the lights. He wrote and composed, always making him feel better. It also gave him the hope that, out there, there was a whole new world to meet.

 

One day he would go out and find it.


	3. Libero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After many years travelling, a young fisherman comes back home...

 

_Sometimes, I hear her sweet voice telling me words that sound strange. Except they’re very familiar to me… it’s not Italian, that’s for sure, but I can understand her perfectly. I feel her hands run through my curls, trying to calm me down as I cry in silence. She promises me that everything’s gonna be okay and she will protect me._

_“One day we’re going to escape. I promise, son… and the four of us will be happy, yeah?” I just nod, unable to formulate any word, but I know I can feel safe between her arms._

_My mother…_

 

* * *

Ever since Fabrizio remembers, he had always enjoyed travelling and exploring new places. He comes from a family of fishers, which easily allows him to take control over his life and choose which path he’s following day by day, continuing with the tradition. He felt the freedom and adrenaline running on his veins every time he arrived to a new kingdom, ready to be explored. And nothing felt more sacred for Fabri than his freedom, even if he was just another simple fisherman roaming around.

This time, he arrived to the Kingdom of Rome, the place he was born and one of the biggest he’s ever been in his life. He heard that the market got really good during this season, besides the big impulse he had to reconnect with his roots, so why not try to be part of it for some days?

 

 

Thanks to his mother’s instructions, he didn’t take long to find the humble house where he lived some months as a baby. It’s a beautiful house, and small, good enough for Fabrizio as long as he has a place to leave all of his belongings in. Adapting to the environment he would be in was never an issue to him.

In order to become familiar with the kingdom once again, he decided he would enjoy the first night by discovering its best places.

As he walks down the streets, he starts to realize that there might be something wrong with its habitants, who walk with their heads down in a total silence the whole time. They barely notice his presence. He first thinks that it’s just the night falling over Rome completely and it creates a feeling of mistrust in him, only to eventually understand that, at least on the outside, he’s surrounded now by an aura of melancholy. No matter how hard he tries to convince himself that it’s part of his imagination, this funny sensation doesn’t really go away until he enters a pub with a big sign that shows in massive letters the name of “Alessandra”

 

Once he’s inside, he meets a completely different atmosphere, filled with life and joy. He immediately can listen to a young girl sing full volume from the wooden stage, he sees the people drink non-stop and talking to each other just like that, not afraid, as if there was no tomorrow, between those enormous tables. _That’s so weird_ , thinks Fabrizio, makes him believe that these people are not allowed to be openly happy out there, and that confuses him more as he approaches the bar.

He is welcomed by a beautiful woman a bit younger than him, with bright brown eyes and thin lips.

“You look like a traveller, be welcome”

“Thank you, I am” Insecure, he takes seat on a stool, which allows him to observe from the distance the several faces and emotions that fill with colors his surroundings.

“What may I offer you?”

“A… beer, please.” _I don’t even drink_. He’s not used to.

The woman nods and proceeds to get his drinks, trying to eye him up and down discretely. It doesn’t take long before another man slouching and eyes as big as plates joins her behind the bar, it’s clear he comes in seek of a little help.

 

“Giada, please, help me with the riot over there… It’s way too much people”. The guy points out to the crowd that won’t stop laughing and talking as if they wanted everyone to hear their conversation topics.

“I’m attending a customer, Marco.” She ignores him and instead leans onto the bar, making sure her attention was on Fabrizio. “What brings you here, fisherman?”

It may be possible that his clothes give him away too easily, he never was one to dress really decently and everyone could tell.

“My name is Fabrizio and… I just like to travel. Work makes it easier.”

“And where are you from?”

“I was actually born here in Rome, in San Basilio, but happened to grow up moving from one place to another.”

“Then, tell me… what are you really looking for? Why come back to Rome?” Now he becomes unsure about whether he likes the amount of questions he’s receiving from this lady –Giada, if he heard correctly- but he looks directly into her eyes, defying and smiles too. He’d lie if he said he doesn’t find her attractive in the slightest.

He pretends to be deeply thinking about what he’s about to say, even when both know they’re messing around at this point.

“And why so many questions? Aren’t we all to have a good time?”

“Mhm… I like the way you think”

“Giada, _please_ ” Their talk seems to be interrupted again by a third person’s voice. Giada gives up, irritated because of Marco’s presence, who hasn’t done much besides standing by her side sending intense looks as a way to passive aggressively put some pressure on her.

“Fine, alright. Take care of the bar and I will go.” She leaves Marco on her place and the man seems to want to hide like a scaredy cat. He’s surely new, assumes Fabri. Both observe quietly as Giada, with full security, approaches the group of people without letting their noise intimidate her and does her job as she should.

 

Now that he’s not facing the pretty lady, Fabrizio dares to be the one to express a certain curiosity after a slow sip from his jar.

“Aò… what’s happening with the people in this kingdom? Why does everyone look like they’re depressed unless they’re drinking in these places?”

“Ooh…” He knows it’s most likely not the type of question someone would normally make, especially noticing the guy’s reaction. “You don’t know the story.”

“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It actually looks like if he wasn’t a customer, Marco would easily find a way to not answer to his question. Damn, he looks tired.

“The Kingdom used to be full of festivities and a lot of peace, really. And it was like this until, at the very night of the Prince’s birthday, fifteen years ago, he was kidnapped and no one has seen him again. There’s no trace.”

“Oh, wow…”

“That’s right. Ever since, the Kingdom only keeps the tradition of letting go of the floating lanterns to the sky. They say the Prince liked them and that the Queen is sure this way they will find him.”

“That’s… horrible. It must be a nightmare to lose a kid that way, and for so long…” Now, Fabrizio can only feel guilty for joking some minutes ago about the heavy atmosphere that Rome lives in. If that were to happen to him he wouldn’t find a way to deal with it, he can’t imagine the pain the King and Queen must be going through.

“It is. People like to say that the Prince was that happiness that filled Rome with light: Without him, people don’t go outside anymore to celebrate, you won’t find people dancing on the square or playing their music, sharing their pieces of art anymore. Everyone prefers now to hide in order to do these activities freely. Even the Royal Guard wanders around more around town, only for vigilance though.”

After listening to these words, Fabrizio finds himself unable to keep talking. He doesn’t even know what he could tell Marco, starting to question of coming back was a really good idea in the first place.

 

The silence is broken when Giada comes back with a big, satisfied smirk, placing her hand on Fabri’s shoulder. “See, Marco? Piece of cake.”

“I still don’t understand how you do it…”

“It’s called being kind and keep calm.” At least, Fabrizio already knows nice people to be around with, and who have a great attitude, that’s good. “So, once again, fisherman… what is your name?”

“I’m Fabrizio Moro, pleasure to meet you.”

“Well, Fabrizio. My name’s Giada and… Don’t you happen to sing?”

“You’re in luck, Giada. In fact, yes, I like to sing.” Shit, why did he say that? _No, hold on-_

“Won’t a handsome man like you want to go up on our little stage and lighten up the clients tonight?”

She points out to that stage on the opposite side of the pub. And this is the very precise moment when he’s filled with fear with a proposal like that.

 

In reality, his family had never agreed with the people who decided to pursue the musical path, they let him know clearly that it was viewed as something only a slacker would do and that it held no future. It would just take him to the streets to ask for coins and starve. He never asked for a lute, as much as he wished for one during his childhood, and didn’t share either the first time he composed a song: it was the only secret he was able to keep in the deepest place of his heart.

That’s exactly why no one had asked him something like this: To stand in front of a crowd that will keep their eyes on him… and sing.

 

But, oh well, he had to begin somewhere.

He doesn’t even bother to finish his beer. “I guess one song won’t hurt” But he doesn’t know if he’s saying it to the woman besides him or if he’s trying to convince himself that it’ll go alright.

 

Once his hands touch the delicate wood of the lute, his worries fade away in a matter of seconds. Nothing else exists, other than him, the instrument and the lyrics that rise from his heart, letting him close his eyes and get carried on by a melody.

 

_“I would like to feel free of this wave_

_Free of the certainty that the Earth is round_

_Free, actually free, not to seem tough_

_Free, free from the fear of future_

_Free because everyone is free to go_

_Free from a story which ended badly_

_And to begin again as a free man_

_Because freedom is as sacred as bread_

_It is as sacred as bread”_

(It’s now when he remembers how, at his worst moments, when he met face to face with a path of dangers during his youth, it was music that saved him)

 

He feels happy and laughs when he hears the claps around him, joined by Giada’s energetic yelling.

He is free.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again for reading! I'd like to read what you think n.n
> 
> I want to thank Marjo for constantly keeping me inspired to writing this and for being my beta, she's the hero I need <3 And thanks to all my writer friends for also being amazing and inspiring with their beautiful stories :3


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